


your lips pressed against my neck

by kaorunanjo



Series: when we were young [5]
Category: SK8 the Infinity (Anime)
Genre: And Cherry is Bad at Feelings, Angst with a Happy Ending, DownBad!Joe, Ficlet, First Kiss, Getting Together, Idiots in Love, Illegal Skateboard Activities, Joe is Leaving for Culinary School, M/M, Making Out, One Shot, Podfic Available, Pov Kaoru, Punk!Cherry, Short One Shot, Underage Drinking
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2021-03-16
Updated: 2021-03-16
Packaged: 2021-03-25 14:00:57
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 935
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/30090171
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/kaorunanjo/pseuds/kaorunanjo
Summary: "Forget you? Yeah, that's not fucking likely, is it?" Joe's laugh is soft and a little sad. And Cherry's eyebrows knit in confusion. He doesn't understand the joke."What's that supposed to mean?""Come off it, Kaoru, you're the smartest person I know. You have to have figured out — come on, do you seriously not know that I—" Joe bites his lip in frustration, hesitates for a moment, then " —fuck it."And then Joe is kissing him.
Relationships: Nanjo Kojiro | Joe/Sakurayashiki Kaoru | Cherry Blossom
Series: when we were young [5]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/2211729
Comments: 24
Kudos: 300
Collections: Punk!Cherry





	your lips pressed against my neck

**Author's Note:**

> Note: shochu is a Japanese spirit distilled from rice, sweet potatoes, or brown sugar. Oh! And if you'd prefer to listen to this piece, a short Podfic is available [here!](https://archiveofourown.org/works/30104613)

Cherry tugs his best friend down to the pavement beside him with a laugh. It's Spring in Okinawa, and the sky is melting into oranges and yellows over the skate park. They've been sneaking sips from the bottle of shochu he stole from his parent's liquor cabinet for hours, and Cherry knows his cheeks are probably flushed the same soft pink as his hair.

Drinking at their age isn't exactly legal, but then again, neither are most of the things they do. And if they're a little too tipsy to land their tricks tonight? Well, it doesn't really matter. Not when it's just the two of them. 

He props himself up on his elbows and frowns as Joe's fingers tap nervously against the pavement.   
  
"What?" He punctuates the question with a lazy kick to his friend's shin.   
  
There's a pause before Joe clears his throat. "I'm going to study in Florence next year." He's looking carefully away from Cherry. "Got accepted into the Culinary Arts School. It's one of the best progra—" 

It knocks the wind out of him, like he's slipped mid-trick and crashed into a hand rail. Florence? 

Silence hangs between them. Cherry finally forces out, "I'm happy for you," but sounds like a lie. He tries to imagine a future without Joe by his side, but his vision blurs. And no, he's not doing this. He's not crying in front of Kojiro Nanjo. So he stands abruptly and kicks his skateboard into his hand. 

"Cherry — " Joe is on his feet too. 

"Anyway, I have to go."

"Come on, Cherry, don't do that," Joe grabs his arm. 

"Do what?" he stares stubbornly at his shoelaces. 

"Pretend you're fine." Joe steps into his path, and Cherry would punch his stupid worried face if his hands would stop shaking. 

"I _am_ fine. You're leaving," he tries to shrug nonchalantly. "Not like this is anything new." Joe flinches like he's been hit.   
  
"It won't be like that."  
  
Cherry tilts his chin at him defiantly, and Joe steps towards him, crowding him back against the railing, his arms caging him on either side. When had Joe gotten taller than him? 

"I'm not Adam," the roughness in Joe's voice softens, "It's only two years."   
  
"Plenty of time to forget me," and fuck, his voice quivers. Joe lifts his hand, and Cherry knows he must be tipsy because for a moment he thinks Joe is going to trace the tremble of his lip.

"Forget you? Yeah, that's not fucking likely, is it?" Joe's laugh is soft and a little sad. And Cherry's eyebrows knit in confusion. He doesn't understand the joke.   
  
"What's that supposed to mean?" 

"Come off it, Kaoru, you're the smartest person I know." He's searching Cherry's expression for something. "You have to have figured out — come on, do you seriously not know that I—" he bites his lip in frustration. Then a familiar determined look, like he's trying to work out a new trick, flashes across his face. He hesitates another moment, before " — fuck it." He pushes Cherry's skateboard to the ground.  
  
And then Joe is kissing him.

His lips are warm and certain, and Cherry forgets to move, forgets to breath, because every nerve in his body is focused on the feeling of Joe's breath mingling with his own, on Joe's calloused hands cradling his face.

And Cherry's world is tilting on its axis, and he should be losing his balance, but it feels _right._ And god, he's an idiot, because of course, _of course_ it's always been Kojiro _._

Joe pulls away, his confidence flickering, and Cherry knows he's going to ruin this fragile thing between them if he doesn't remember how to move _._ So he tangles his fingers into the curls at the base of Joe's neck, and tugs him back against his lips. He hears the sharp intake of Joe's breath, feels his stiffen in surprise. And then their lips meet a third, a fourth time before Joe presses their foreheads together, "you have no idea how long I've wanted to do that," he murmurs as he twirls a strand of pink hair around his finger. 

And Cherry should probably ask him how long, should ask about Florence, but something possessive burns under his skin and all he can think is _closer_ and _here_ and _mine,_ so he pushes Joe up against the skateboard-scarred wall and bites a love mark into his neck instead. 

And then, everything is heat, and touch, and the bruising grip of Joe's hands on his hips until the unwelcome beam of a flashlight breaks through the haze around them.

"Hey, you two! The park is closed!" comes an angry voice, and Joe and Cherry grab their boards and run, laughing as they stumble in the dark. They reach the top of the hill between their houses, and know they need to run in separate directions. That's the rule; split up, make yourselves harder to follow. But god, Cherry doesn't want to.   
  
Joe's smile is a beautiful, reckless thing when he tugs Cherry in for one last kiss. They pull apart again as the pursuing guard's footsteps pound closer, but Cherry has only made it a few feet before Joe calls his name.   
  
"It won't be like that," Joe voice rings out across the empty street, "I promise." 

And maybe it's the shochu or Joe's touch still burning like fire through his veins. But Cherry believes him.   
  
____  
  
  
Disclaimer: No Carla's were hurt in the making of this fic. Cherry's still skating with his first (non-AI) board, so he doesn't mind Joe pushing it to the ground. This time.   
  
  


**Author's Note:**

> Honestly, it took me ages to decide how Joe should kiss him. A little hesitant, because so much is on the line? Like he has something to prove? I settled on confident and tender, but I'd love your thoughts! 
> 
> If you have a suggestion or a request for future story, please let me know in the comments or come say hello on [Tumblr](https://kaorunanjo.tumblr.com/post/646282932220198912/your-lips-pressed-against-my-neck-sk8-the) or [Twitter (Sometimes NSFW)](https://twitter.com/kaorunanjo)

**Works inspired by this one:**

  * [[podfic] your lips pressed against my neck](https://archiveofourown.org/works/30104613) by [podfics (kaorunanjo)](https://archiveofourown.org/users/kaorunanjo/pseuds/podfics)




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